Determination of Salinity Effects on Seed Germination in Different Red Fescue (Festuca rubra L.) Varieties

Abstract

Seeds of 12 red fescue cultivars, which were included creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. subsp. rubra), chewings fescue (Festuca rubra L. subsp. commutata), and slender red fescue (Festuca rubra L. subsp. trichophylla) (Barustic, Corail, Livision, Lustrous, Redskin, Rufi, Garnet, Wilma, Casanova, 07-Seas, and Libano) subspecies, 1 of which were newly introduced (J-5) in 2014, were used to investigate the effects of different NaCl concentrates (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) on their germination rate, shoot and root length, shoot and root fresh weight, shoot/root rate, and salt tolerance index. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized with 4 replicates at the laboratory of Kizilirmak Vocational High School, Cankiri Karatekin University, in 2014. The results indicated that different treatments of salinity had statistically remarkable effects on all of the properties, studied. These parameters reduced with raising salt concentrate. Important decreases
evaluated by 100 mM concentrate in all parameters and the lowest values assessed at 200 mM. According to results, remarkable variations were determined under salinity conditions among the red fescue cultivars. The overall findings suggest that the Lustrous and Rufi varieties of
creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. subsp. rubra) were more tolerant than the other ones.